Concentration

Chapter seven

Harry's POV:

"Try to behave yourself, little man," I tell Ezra in a stern tone before giving him a wink. I lean closer to him, resting my hand that is not gripped on my gun, on his shoulder, "And remember, not a word about our secret."

"I promise. I wont tell anyone, not even Eden! Bye, H!" he whispers and I nod my head for him to run along. I strain my neck watching him until his small frame is hidden among the mass of other bodies.

I turn around to see Liam giving me a quizzical look, "What?" I grumble and don't give Liam a chance to answer before sauntering off. I know he has a thousand questions to ask me because he's a nosy fuck like that but I don't even know if I'll have the answer for half of them because quite frankly I don't know what the fuck came over me and why I treated Ezra or his sister the way I did. If I was going to be completely honest with myself, it scared the fuck out of me. I promised myself the first day I stepped into this camp that I would not get emotionally attached to any of the prisoners here and I would not associate with anybody, soldier or prisoner, but it looks like I'm doing a pretty good job of fucking that up. What the hell is wrong with you, Harry? I seem to be asking myself this a lot here lately without ever finding the answer.

I hear Liam's boots hit the dirt as he trots to keep up with my fast pace. "What was that about?" I knew he couldn't hold out from asking.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lie.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Harry. What secret is that little boy talking about, who is Eden, and what the hell why does he get to call you 'H' but I'm lucky if I get to even call you by your first name?" Liam probes me, further thinning out my already frazzled nerves.

"How does my ass smell because you have your nose constantly shoved up it." I spit, "None of that is any of your business, now is it?" I keep up my steady pace to the factory to further complete our duties.

"It may not be my business but you know whose business it would be," I abruptly stop causing him to slam into my back and bounce off it.

He wouldn't.

I turn to him and narrow my eyes to him. "U-uhh, I'm sure it would be the Captain's business," he stammers, whispering so nobody overhears us. I refrain myself from taking the butt of my gun and knocking him in the jaw with it. I find it would be very therapeutic but would be too much of a hassle to explain to others. I close the gab that was between us by grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him to me.

"I swear, Liam, if you get anyone else involved in this you won't live to see the end of this war because I'll kill you myself." He wheezes from my knuckles pressing firmly against his Adam's apple.

"Harry I--" I don't give him the chance for a rebuttal, I silence him by shoving him with great force. He stumbles backwards before falling to the dirt.

"And I thought you were different," I can't help the disappointment that is laced through my voice. I thought Liam was different. I thought he was better than them. Better than me. Turns out he was just another disappointment like everything else in my life. Do I think Liam would ever betray me and confide to the Nazis? No. But he made a empty threat of it so that alone was enough for me to look at him in a different light. This is why you can't trust anyone, Harry. You were starting to get soft towards Liam and look how he turned out to be. You should listen to me, you stubborn boy. My subconscious taunts me, further pissing me off because every word he speaks holds the truth- a truth that I wish was a lie.

Liam and I finish out the day's duties with no more words spoken between us. Anger radiated off me in heated waves as I replay Liam's words in my head. Who does he think he is giving me an ultimatum. I grip my gun tighter in frustration and march on. I took the front of our group of prisoners while Liam monitored the back making sure we had no stragglers. Once Liam and I get the prisoners back to their barracks for the night then are free to go- that is how we close out everyday here at Natzweiler.